8 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONALi MUSEUM vol.78 



tomology. They indicate no locality except North America, and 

 returned no sjDecimens labeled hesperus^ although they marked sev- 

 eral "Achaetoneura sp." One of these has been labeled by Town- 

 send as probably Ties'perus. Apparently they did not label the types 

 (they included more than one specimen, as in their part 6, 1893, p. 

 115, they say that the apical scutellars are " sometimes " erect), as it 

 is understood that they did not retain any types. The specimen la- 

 beled by Townsend is undoubtedly hesperus Brauer and Bergenstamm 

 and belongs to one of the varieties of the frenchii complex. Since 

 hesperus is antedated by frenchii^ its principal importance is that 

 it is technically the genotype. Townsend's type of M. datana- 

 rum have not been located. The species was described from three 

 specimens bred from Datana species and Telea polyphemus, also 

 one collected specimen. From the description given, the species can 

 not be differentiated from the A. frenchii complex, although Town- 

 send ^ contends that it has a different f acies. Provisionally, the 

 species is best regarded as a variety of frenchii. 



Frontina sordida Curran undoubtedly belongs to the frenchii 

 complex. Certain specimens are readily identified but when one is 

 confronted with a large series the separation of this form is un- 

 satisfactory. In this, as well as in all other varieties of frenchii 

 which have been studied, the puparia appear identical. 



Because so few tachinids show such marked variations in the adult 

 and inasmuch as there is a suspected distinctiveness of some of the 

 variant forms, extreme care has been taken to describe, with exact- 

 ness, some of the characters of the type which are believed to be 

 unpublished. 



According to Williston, the species was described from five speci- 

 mens bred from {Jasoniades) Papilio glaucus Linnaeus, November 

 26, 1881, Moosehead Lake, Me. (S. H. Scudder). The type is 

 pinned with the puparium and labeled " From Turnus, Nov. 15, 

 1881, Moosehead Lake, Me., S. H. Scudder, type 476, Masicera 

 frenchiiP There is also an unissued puparium labeled as is the 

 above. I was unable to locate any more of the type material. The 

 type specimen is a male. The abdomen has been broken off but 

 the remainder of the fly is in good condition. According to the 

 original description, the abdomen has no red on the sides. The 

 following measurements were taken with an eyepiece micrometer. 



Front at vertex 0.33 the head width; at widest part (base of an- 

 tennae) 0.46 the head width. Width of bucca 0.20 the head height; 

 second antennal joint 0.20 the third (measurement taken with head 

 held in profile). Front projecting beyond the eye 0.28 the head 

 width (head held in profile, measurement taken at base of anten- 



Smiths. Misc. Colls., No. 1803, p. 18, 1908. 



